Speed cameras in Bristol will be switched back on

Speed cameras are to be turned back on across Bristol, the city's mayor has announced.

Fixed speed cameras and cameras monitoring junctions were switched off in 2011 after the government stopped funding the Safety Camera Partnership.

George Ferguson said work will start early next year to switch on up to 26 speed and traffic light cameras.

Revenue raised from the cameras will be used to fund their maintenance and enforcement.

'Tolerance and respect'

Chief Constable Nick Gargan, who has made it clear he wants to see the cameras turned back on, said: "National research shows that they have a positive impact on driver behaviour and we have been working with the council to identify a cost neutral way of reactivating them."

Mr Ferguson and Police Commissioner Sue Mountstevens also revealed 15 community speed watch schemes, where volunteers are trained to monitor speeds with detection equipment.

They told a road safety summit work to encourage more volunteer schemes is under way as 20mph areas are rolled out in the city.

"While the number of those killed or seriously injured on our roads has reduced recently there are still too many incidents, especially those involving pedestrians and cyclists," said Mr Ferguson.

"I have asked officers to start work on preparing speed cameras to be switched back on and boost the number of community speed watch programmes in the city."

Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: "The Mayor and I are both keen to find a way of stopping the war between different road users and find a way of building more tolerance and respect."

Other councils in the Avon and Somerset area - which used to jointly run the Safety Camera Partnership with Bristol - have already said they are not considering a similar move.

Somerset County Council said talks had taken place but the cost would be "prohibitive". North Somerset said talks had been held over reactivating one camera but the idea was rejected.

Bath and North East Somerset Council said it was not considering turning any cameras back on.

South Gloucestershire Council said the authority was still considering whether or not to switch the cameras back on.